Portland City Council Housing & Permitting Committee 09/15/26
Portland's forced $2,900-$4,500 payouts to evicted tenants haven't budged since 2017, even though staff admit they'd be higher if updated for today's costs. City just hired a consultant to review the whole landlord-tenant policy system, and one renter advocate wants the eviction trigger dropped from 10% to 5% rent hikes. No decision made.
Agenda
- 2026-321: Housing and Permitting community feedback
- 2026-322: Informational briefing on Mandatory Relocation Assistance
- 2026-323: Renter feedback forum
Summary
The city's Mandatory Rental Relocation Assistance policy, which requires landlords to pay tenants who are forced to move due to no-cause evictions or rent increases of 10% or more, got a detailed review from Housing Bureau staff. The payment amounts—ranging from $2,900 for a studio to $4,500 for a three-bedroom—have not changed since 2017, and staff acknowledged they would likely rise if updated to reflect today's costs. Staff also noted that relocation notices triggered by rent increases dropped sharply, from 27 in fiscal year 2022-23 to just 4 in 2024-25, likely because of state law changes that capped allowable rent increases and a softening rental market. Staff emphasized they were not making recommendations, but gathering information for a broader evaluation.
The Housing Bureau announced it has hired consultant firm Stout to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of all landlord-tenant policies, not just relocation assistance, with the contract being finalized this month. The study will examine whether policies achieve their goals, how to reduce administrative burden, and how well policies serve low-income tenants, older adults, people with disabilities, and tenants of color. Committee members raised questions about whether the current 10% rent-increase trigger still protects renters, whether tenants who receive assistance find comparable housing, and what happens to them afterward—questions staff said the evaluation would help answer.
During a renters feedback forum, community members shared personal struggles with high rents, excessive move-in and pet fees, substandard living conditions, and displacement. Jamie Evenstar, who authored the original policy, urged the committee to lower the relocation trigger from 10% to 5%, while a small landlord asked the committee to finish the full policy review before making changes. Councilor Sameer Kanal and other speakers highlighted the need for better rental inspections and stronger tenant protections. Chair Avalos announced a series of "Rental Rip-Off" community listening sessions planned for November across the city. The committee's next meeting is October 6, covering climate and health standards, housing finance, land use code alignment, and the Central City 2035 Plan.
Key Points
- Staff briefing on the city's Mandatory Rental Relocation Assistance (RELO) policy, including its history, payment standards, exemptions, and how state law changes have affected it
- Announcement of a broader landlord-tenant policy evaluation being conducted with consultant firm Stout, examining all rental policies as a connected system
- Renters feedback forum where community members shared experiences and advocated for lowering the RELO trigger from 10% to 5% and other tenant protections
Votes (1)
Approval of Committee Minutes (July and August meetings)
Adoption of the committee meeting minutes from July and August
Action Items
- Chair Avalos to connect testifier Terry McBride with county staff regarding Community Navigator model proposal
- Housing Bureau to follow up with committee on more comprehensive help desk feedback data
- Housing Bureau to pull no-cause eviction RELO payment trend data
- Housing Bureau to explore capturing post-relocation outcome data through the evaluation
- Rental Rip-Off community sessions to be scheduled for November across the city
- Next committee meeting October 6 to cover climate and health standards, housing finance, land use code alignment, and Central City 2035 Plan
Issues Discussed (17)
Housing Bureau staff briefed the committee on the RELO policy, noting payment amounts haven't been updated since 2017 and that rent-increase-triggered relocation notices dropped from 27 to 4 annually amid state rent cap changes. The bureau announced it hired consultant firm Stout to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the policy alongside other landlord-tenant regulations, with the original policy author advocating to lower the rent-increase trigger from 10% to 5%.
The Housing Bureau announced it has hired consultant firm Stout to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of all landlord-tenant policies, with the contract being finalized this month, to examine whether policies achieve their goals, reduce administrative burden, and serve vulnerable tenant populations. The study will address committee questions about the effectiveness of the current relocation assistance trigger and outcomes for tenants who receive assistance.
During a renters feedback forum, community members testified about high rents, excessive fees, substandard conditions, and displacement, with policy author Jamie Evenstar urging the committee to lower the relocation assistance trigger from 10% to 5%. Councilor Kanal and others called for stronger tenant protections and better rental inspections, while Chair Avalos announced upcoming "Rental Rip-Off" community listening sessions planned for November.
Not addressed in this meeting; the session focused on rental relocation assistance policy review and landlord-tenant policy evaluation, with land use code alignment scheduled for discussion at the next meeting on October 6.
Not addressed in this meeting; the session focused on rental relocation assistance policy review and a broader landlord-tenant policy evaluation with consultant Stout.
Not addressed in this meeting; the session focused on rental relocation assistance policy and a broader landlord-tenant policy evaluation, with no discussion of budget advisory committees.
Referenced tangentially during broader discussion of tenant protections and rental relocation assistance policy; the meeting did not directly address affordability of new housing developments, focusing instead on existing rental market policies and a planned comprehensive review of landlord-tenant regulations by consultant Stout.
Not addressed in this meeting; the session focused on rental relocation assistance policy and landlord-tenant regulations, with no discussion of data center zoning or siting rules.
Housing Bureau staff briefed the committee on the RELO policy, noting payment amounts ($2,900-$4,500) have been unchanged since 2017 and that rent-increase-triggered relocation notices dropped from 27 to 4 between FY2022-23 and FY2024-25 due to state rent caps. The bureau announced it has hired consultant firm Stout to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of all landlord-tenant policies, while advocates at the meeting pushed to lower the 10% rent-increase trigger to 5%.
The Housing Bureau announced it has hired consultant firm Stout to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of all landlord-tenant policies, examining whether they achieve their goals, reduce administrative burden, and serve vulnerable tenant populations, with the contract being finalized this month. The evaluation will address committee questions raised during the meeting, such as whether the 10% rent-increase trigger for relocation assistance still protects renters.
During the renters feedback forum, testifier Terry McBride raised a proposal for a Community Navigator model, prompting Chair Avalos to commit to connecting them with county staff for follow-up; the issue was not otherwise a focus of this meeting, which centered on rental relocation assistance policy.
Housing Bureau staff briefed the committee on the RELO policy, noting payment amounts ($2,900-$4,500) haven't changed since 2017 and that rent-increase-triggered relocation notices dropped from 27 to 4 annually due to state rent cap laws, while announcing consultant firm Stout will conduct a broader evaluation of all landlord-tenant policies. Policy author Jamie Evenstar advocated lowering the trigger from 10% to 5%, while a landlord representative urged waiting for the full review before making changes.
During a renters feedback forum, community members testified about excessive move-in and pet fees, substandard living conditions, and displacement, with Councilor Sameer Kanal and others calling for stronger rental inspections and tenant protections. Chair Avalos announced upcoming "Rental Rip-Off" community listening sessions planned for November to gather further input on these issues.
Housing Bureau staff briefed the committee on the RELO policy, noting payment amounts ($2,900-$4,500) haven't changed since 2017 and relocation notices from rent increases dropped sharply due to state rent-cap laws. The Bureau announced consultant firm Stout has been hired to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of all landlord-tenant policies, while advocate Jamie Evenstar pushed to lower the rent-increase trigger from 10% to 5%, though no policy changes were made pending the broader review.
During a renters feedback forum, community members testified about high rents, excessive fees, substandard conditions, and displacement, with policy author Jamie Evenstar urging the committee to lower the relocation assistance trigger from 10% to 5% while a landlord representative asked for the full policy review to conclude first. Chair Avalos announced upcoming "Rental Rip-Off" community listening sessions in November to gather further input on tenant protection issues.
The Housing Bureau announced it has hired consultant firm Stout to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of all landlord-tenant policies, with the contract being finalized this month, to assess whether policies achieve their goals, reduce administrative burden, and serve vulnerable tenant populations. The study is intended to help answer committee questions about the effectiveness of the current relocation assistance trigger and outcomes for tenants receiving assistance.
During a renters feedback forum, community members testified about high rents, excessive fees, and substandard housing conditions, with policy author Jamie Evenstar urging the committee to lower the relocation assistance trigger from 10% to 5%. Chair Avalos announced upcoming "Rental Rip-Off" community listening sessions planned for November across the city.